The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) presented a summary of research in Kenya's Mau forest, the last large tract of mountain forest in the country.
The summary highlights the multiple pressures on the forest, including land use change in the surrounding area, as well as the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the forest, especially carbon sequestration and the provision of clean water.
5 December 2014: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) presented a summary of research in Kenya’s Mau forest, the last large tract of mountain forest in the country. The summary highlights the multiple pressures on the forest, including land use change in the surrounding area, as well as the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the forest, especially carbon sequestration and the provision of clean water.
Building on research from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that reveals that the Mau forest lost about a quarter of its coverage during the period 1991 to 2011, the research examines the impact of forest loss on nutrient and water cycling and carbon sequestration. Conclusions drawn from the research include a predicted increase in the frequency of droughts and floods, reductions in soil fertility and carbon loss.
Overall, the report states that continued forest loss will negatively impact the provision of ecosystem services currently estimated at US$1.3 billion per year. This impact will, according to the report, be felt by about 6 million people in Kenya as well as populations as far away as Egypt.
The study was carried out by researchers from CIFOR, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Giessen and partners in Kenya through the Mazingira Center, an innovative ‘centre of excellence’ for environmental research. CIFOR is part of the CGIAR Consortium. [CIFOR Blog Post] [Presentation: Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation in Kenya]